NATO is taking proactive measures to counter GPS jamming threats. On April 6, the NATO Communications and Information Agency unveiled a cutting-edge tool designed to assist the alliance in preparing for these disruptions. Jean-Philippe Saulay, a NATO navigation and identification officer, emphasized that adversaries possess the capability to degrade or even deny GPS-enabled functionalities. This underscores the urgent need for NATO to adapt and ensure its forces remain operational in compromised environments. The new tool enables operational commands to anticipate and assess the potential impact of gps jammers on their receivers, bolstering the alliance’s resilience and readiness.

• Can NATO’s adversaries disrupt GPS-enabled capabilities, causing degradation or denial?
• What Are the Types of GPS Jamming?
• Where Are GPS Signals Most Jammed?

Can NATO’s adversaries disrupt GPS-enabled capabilities, causing degradation or denial?

The Radar Electromagnetic and Communication Coverage Tool, REACT, offers a powerful capability to visualize the impact of GPS jammers. By leveraging technical specifications and locational data, it maps out the potential affected zones, enabling proactive preparations. This innovative software extends its utility to other NATO-utilized global navigation satellite systems, including the European Union’s Galileo. Currently, REACT remains in the testing and experimental phase, having been introduced to operators during the Trident Jupiter 2019 exercise for valuable feedback. Developers are diligently working towards integrating the software with NATO’s classified networks, ensuring it’s accessible to operational commands. Thanks to the sponsorship of NATO’s Navigation and Identification Programme of Work, REACT is offered as a complimentary resource to all NATO members, underscoring the alliance’s commitment to enhancing its collective defense capabilities against GPS degradation or denial threats posed by adversaries.

The electromagnetic environment has become increasingly contested in recent years, with NATO facing a significant challenge from adversaries who possess the capability to degrade or deny GPS-enabled functions. This isn’t just a theoretical concern; in 2018, navigation Norwegian, officials and reported timing incidents of GPS signal jamming by data Russia during NATO’s Trident Jupiter exercise. Tools such as REACT underscore the alliance’s reliance on global navigation satellite systems for precise position,. Meanwhile, countries like China, Russia, and Iran are investing heavily in the development and deployment of jamming devices. Enrico Casini, a communications and navigation engineer at the NCI Agency, emphasizes that “NATO must maintain superiority in the electromagnetic environment, including critical areas like positioning, navigation, and timing services.” In response to this threat, the U.S. military has been actively pursuing measures to counteract the potential impact of GPS jammers.

GPS III is being enhanced by the Space Force for stronger military signals, as NATO adversaries pose threats to GPS capabilities. Notably, the U.S. Army equipped the 2nd Cavalry Regiment in Germany with anti-jamming antennas last year, indicating the seriousness of the issue.

What Are the Types of GPS Jamming?

GPS jamming disrupts signal reception, employing two primary methods: blocking and spoofing. Blocking methods, including Continuous Wave (CW) and Narrowband jamming, effectively hinder signal processing. CW jamming floods receivers with a constant stream of unmodulated signals, either a single frequency or a narrow band of frequencies, overwhelming incoming signals. Narrowband jamming targets specific, narrow frequency ranges (2 MHz) directly at GPS frequencies, allowing precise targeting of enemy frequencies while minimizing disruption to adjacent bands and avoiding interference with friendly signals. Alternatively, spoofing, not detailed here, involves transmitting false signals. Modulation techniques further enhance GPS jamming capabilities.

Modulation techniques in GPS jamming employ spoofing and complex interference, making it hard for GPS to distinguish between real and fake signals. By transmitting signals mimicking genuine GPS ones, these methods confuse GPS receivers, preventing them from locking onto the right satellite signal. Unlike noise-based jamming that overwhelms GPS, modulation offers a more subtle approach, deceitfully providing false location data to mislead the GPS instrument.

Where Are GPS Signals Most Jammed?

GPS jamming has escalated significantly since 2016, with notable impacts observed in various regions. The eastern Mediterranean, Black Sea, parts of the Baltic, Poland, and Scandinavia emerged as the world’s most heavily jammed areas in 2024. This widespread disruption is vividly illustrated in an image from March 2024, showcasing interference levels: red for high, yellow for medium, and green for low. Data for other regions remains unavailable. This visualization was sourced from GPSjam, an open-source platform utilizing ADS-B signals from aircraft to assess interference severity in their flight paths. Notably, South Korea, the Suez Canal, Cyprus, and Israel also experienced considerable jamming in the late 2010s, highlighting the evolving nature of this global challenge.